Too Much Data Saving The Day?

[Mojochi]

Phantasms - Data subconsciously detects peptide sucking lifeforms
Genesis - Data is immune to the synthetic T-Cell effect, develops cure
Ship In A Bottle - Data figures out they're trapped in the holodeck
Time's Arrow - Data's head is used to save Earth
The Game - Data is immune to the game, cures everyone
Disaster - Data's head is used to prevent containment collapse
Cause & Effect - Data sends & translates the life saving message
The Next Phase - Data persistently sweeps the ship with anyons
Redemption II - Data detects & exposes the Romulan fleet
The Mind's Eye - Data discovers Geordi is being influenced
Clues - Data saves everyone by covering up the alien's existence
The Best of Both Worlds II - Data hacks the Borg Collective thru Locutus

I'm probably leaving some out, but I think the point is made. Was it too much?

 

[tomalak301]

12 episodes in a 174 episode series? No I don't think it was too much.

 

[Pondwater]

Awesome. Now, what about the rest of the crew?

 

[Mojochi]

12 episodes in a 174 episode series? No I don't think it was too much.

There's probably more than that, which I'm forgetting, & many of those 174 episodes aren't crises which endangered everybody's lives

So, when you consider the amount of crises that they'd been through, then considering how many of them he is their savior, & also bear in mind that he saves them WAY more times than anybody else on that ship ever saved everyone, it does seem to be a highly common event.

That being said. I actually don't think it's too much, because of how wholly unique & different he is than everyone else on board. His artificial nature pretty much exempts him from any biological effect that everybody else suffered, like in Night Terrors (There's one I forgot lol)

So while it does have an ill effect on the show dramatically, in universe, it actually makes sense that he'd save them a lot. I was just curious to see how others felt. Some people aren't nearly as fond of Data as I am

 

[marlboro]

Well, without Wesley there somebody has to pick up the slack.

 

[tomalak301]

There's probably more than that, which I'm forgetting, & many of those 174 episodes aren't crises which endangered everybody's lives

So, when you consider the amount of crises that they'd been through, then considering how many of them he is their savior, & also bear in mind that he saves them WAY more times than anybody else on that ship ever saved everyone, it does seem to be a highly common event.

That being said. I actually don't think it's too much, because of how wholly unique & different he is than everyone else on board. His artificial nature pretty much exempts him from any biological effect that everybody else suffered, like in Night Terrors (There's one I forgot lol)

So while it does have an ill effect on the show dramatically, in universe, it actually makes sense that he'd save them a lot. I was just curious to see how others felt. Some people aren't nearly as fond of Data as I am

I guess when I think too much I think more of whether or not it was repetitive or not. With Wesley, it felt like he was saving the ship every week (And I like Wesley). With Data, if he did save the ship, it was spread out to the point where it was hardly noticeable.

 

[marlboro]

You know an episode where Data should have saved the day? "Elementary, Dear Data." Growing up, this was always one of my favorite episodes. Recently I watched it for the first time in over a decade and couldn't help but notice that Data gets shoved into the background for Picard towards the end of the episode. The whole setup of Pulaski challenging Data to solve a Holmes mystery is completely forgotten.

 

[Mojochi]

Awesome. Now, what about the rest of the crew?

All Good Things... - Picard Saves them all (Granted, he probably caused it too)
Masks - Picard kind of puts an end to that too
Descent - Kind of hard to say who won that day. Picard & Geordi manage to get Data back to thinking like Data again
Timescape - Kind of a group effort
Starship Mine - Also a group effort
Chain of Command - Jellico, baby... with some help from his subordinates
Rascals - Group effort
Schisms - Riker mostly
Relics - Scotty & Geordi
The Enemy - Kinda Geordi
Booby Trap - All Geordi
Yesterday's Enterprise - Picard, maybe? with some help from subordinates & the C
Contagion - Geordi maybe, but he figured it out by learning from what happened to... DATA
Time Squared - Picard
Q-Who - Picard
Conspiracy - Group effort

Oops I think Evolution goes to Data for being the conduit

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Ensigns of Command is a shared victory between Picard and Data. Hero Worship was all Data. In Disaster Riker, Data, Troi, O'Brien, Geordi and Beverly all contributed.

Honestly given his physical and mental abilities he arguably should have an even greater save the ship advantage. And he was also the most compelling character.

I wonder who would win a ship saving contest between Data and Seven.

Some of the ones you give to Data I would not, though. The Game goes to Wesley. Data was incapacitated most of the episode and was only able to help because Wesley fixed him then got everyone chasing him. Clues, the ship was almost destroyed because Data existed, then almost destroyed again because he failed to fool his friends. Best of Both Worlds, Data executed the command but it was all Riker's idea to kidnap Locutus and Picard's idea to order sleep. Next Phase, Geordi figured everything out, Data just happened to be the one running sweeps.

 

[marlboro]

I wonder who would win a ship saving contest between Data and Seven.

Kirk.

 

[Vger23]

I know I'm in the vast minority, but Data is an annoying character.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I know I'm in the vast minority, but Data is an annoying character.

Only in the movies for me. I was hoping the character would be more like Professor Data in "All Good Things..." when the emotion chip was installed, but instead he became an annoying asshole. The more of him I saw in movies the more I disliked him. Data works in intervals but he doesn't have the same kind of interest and intrigue Leonard Nimoy's Spock continues to have.

 

[Discofan]

Ensigns of Command is a shared victory between Picard and Data. Hero Worship was all Data. In Disaster Riker, Data, Troi, O'Brien, Geordi and Beverly all contributed.

Honestly given his physical and mental abilities he arguably should have an even greater save the ship advantage. And he was also the most compelling character.

I wonder who would win a ship saving contest between Data and Seven.

Some of the ones you give to Data I would not, though. The Game goes to Wesley. Data was incapacitated most of the episode and was only able to help because Wesley fixed him then got everyone chasing him. Clues, the ship was almost destroyed because Data existed, then almost destroyed again because he failed to fool his friends. Best of Both Worlds, Data executed the command but it was all Riker's idea to kidnap Locutus and Picard's idea to order sleep. Next Phase, Geordi figured everything out, Data just happened to be the one running sweeps.

I agree; Wesley saves the ship much more often than Data.

 

[Mojochi]

Ensigns of Command is a shared victory between Picard and Data.

I left that one off, because it's not really a crisis that threatens the ship & crew. It's just a mission. They are failing dismally in their mission in Deja Q, until Data saves Q, & Q decides to pay them back by fixing it for them. There's LOTS of missions one or more of them pull off

In Disaster Riker, Data, Troi, O'Brien, Geordi and Beverly all contributed.

But without Data's ability to hardline right into the warp core, none of what anybody else is doing matters. I'll grant you that Bev & Geordi are doing their own independent ship saving, but nobody stops that containment breach without Data

The Game goes to Wesley. Data was incapacitated most of the episode and was only able to help because Wesley fixed him then got everyone chasing him.

But again, the only saving plan Wes has is "Get Data back". If The Enterprise's chief of OPS was Lt. Hobson, that ship is doomed that day, just like in Disaster

Clues, the ship was almost destroyed because Data existed, then almost destroyed again because he failed to fool his friends.

I don't hold having caused it against him. He still ends up making the difference in them surviving. Riker is the cause in The Game, & Picard is arguably the cause in All Good Things... Q begins shifting him around in time to prove a point, & Picard falls right for it, with his converging beams that created the backwards time anomaly

Best of Both Worlds, Data executed the command but it was all Riker's idea to kidnap Locutus and Picard's idea to order sleep.

But still, without Data's unique ability to hack into him, Riker capturing Locutus only serves to make him feel better about losing him in the 1st place, & Picard never gets the chance to "Reach out" When we write the log, "Day is saved by Data hacking the collective, & the rest of us did our part in lining things up so he could"

Next Phase, Geordi figured everything out, Data just happened to be the one running sweeps.

I'll admit that one's a reach lol, because while Data is the one doing the sweeps. Probably anybody could've & should've done that

Honestly given his physical and mental abilities he arguably should have an even greater save the ship advantage. And he was also the most compelling character.

I actually agree with that, if there were more situations requiring it. The ship didn't need saving every episode. A lot of what is noted in this thread comprises most of when it did. I'm trying to rack my brain to think of more. I'm having a hard time trying to recollect all these times Wesley is supposed to have saved them all. They were most likely all in S1 & 2, right? Anybody got a better idea?

 

[Farscape One]

"The Naked Now" - Data saves the ship by getting the isolinear chips in place VERY quickly. Wesley gives them much needed extra seconds for Data to accomplish this task, so I think it goes to both of them.

"Where No One Has Gone Before" - Wesley helps save the day by giving the Traveler some much needed thought energy, for lack of a better term.

"The Last Outpost" - Riker saves the ship by keeping his wits about him and quoting Sun Tzu, which intrigues Portal.

"The Big Goodbye" - Picard gets this one, but not in the way most might think. We know the Jarada are VERY snobbish people, and the Federation must take seriously enough to have the flagship give the greeting. Maybe they are on par technologically with Starfleet, thus becoming a potential threat. Picard, in his honorable greeting, starts to build the bridge between these groups, instead of a potential problem, maybe even a war, as a worst case scenario.

"Angel One" - Dr. Crusher gets the win here. She develops the cure for what is knocking down the crew, which could have proven fatal.

"Home Soil" - Picard for the win. His understanding of what is going on and his tactics not only saved his ship, but basically saved those creatures from extinction.

"Heart Of Glory" - Worf gets his glorious day here. His facing Korris alone while he had his disruptor aimed at the warp core brings honor to the Son of Mogh.

"The Arsenal of Freedom" - This was a team win, all the way. Picard helps save Crusher with her guidance, Crusher helps Picard with her suggestion to the holographic merchant, Yar truly shows her tactical skill throughout the episode, Data saves Riker from the field, Troi gives great and needed insight into the young bridge officers for Geordi (who really shows good leadership in this episode), and Geordi saves the ship with his strategy. Worf and Riker are great support when needed, as well. Truly, a team win here.

"We'll Always Have Paris" - Has to go to Data. He not only stopped the tear in time for the ship, but for many sectors, possibly the quadrant.

"Conspiracy" - Goes to Picard and Riker. Picard for getting the ball rolling with everything, Riker for the blue gill and helping Picard kill the mother creature... basically saving the Federation from that invasion.

"The Neutral Zone" - Picard gets the diplomatic win here, because the situation could have degenerated quickly into a shooting match, and even a war.


These are the first season ones I can think of, that involve saving the whole ship/crew, the Federation, or anything larger.

I might do season by season posts with this thread...

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Wesley doesn't actually save the day that often, and mostly in season one. The Naked Now, Where No One Has Gone Before, Datalore, The Game, Menage a Troi, Final Mission. Gets an assist in The Enemy and Peak Performance.

In Disaster, Data is one of many ship savers. If O'Brien hadn't found the problem rerouted the power to that engineering console, if Riker hadn't been there to wire up his head, if Geordi and Bev hadn't stopped the fire. Data was able to hack the collective, but it was Riker and Picard's idea what to do, I think giving him credit there is like if you gave credit for Night Terrors for whatever Ensign pushed the button to release hydrogen.

For Ensigns of Command Data may not have saved the ship but he saved thousands of lives.

 

[Leviathan]

I know I'm in the vast minority, but Data is an annoying character.

AI's are far, far more terrifying than presented. They were designed by malevolent humans...to sell you things.

 

[Herbert]

The Game - Data is immune to the game, cures everyone

While it's true that Data was immune to the game, he was immobilized by Riker, Crusher, and LaForge. Super Wesley came to his rescue. It was only then that he was able to save the day but with help

 

[Vger23]

Can you imagine how far the Enterprise-D would have gotten without Data and Wesley? Fuck the ship would have exploded in space dock.

 

[JesterFace]

Data saving the day makes sense in the way that like the Enterprise he is a machine. He can be plugged in and fix a problem.
If Data wasn't there to do "the plugging in", maybe the crew might use other machines or programs to fix a problem.

Few examples
'The Best of Both Worlds' - Was Data the only way to get into Locutus' head? Maybe a computer could have been used for it, only the whole process might have been slower.
'Genesis' - Maybe Data wasn't the only immune creature on the ship? There might have been others too, they just didn't understand the problem or were injured or killed by the crew.
'Ship in a Bottle' - Perhaps some other officer might have figured it out that they were in a simulation if that person was trapped in the holodeck instead of Data.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

What's terrifying in terms of real world are surveillance AIs. Which are, by the way, probably far more advanced than the government lets on. Right now I believe they are probably only being used to stop major threats like terrorism, but there's nothing stopping them from suddenly being used against nonviolent dissent. AIs that are confined to one body are frankly not a major threat, AIs that can watch you from any camera in the country are a HUGE one.

In my considered opinion, Minority Report is the most likely dystopian future. There will be a system like that within 50 years, except without the need for psychics lying in milk.

Another thing about Data is that he's the only character they don't need to explain why he's the only person unaffected by the space illness. Same for Voyager and Seven/EMH, and if DS9 stayed more like TNG, it would be the same for Odo. Just like in season 1 with Babel and Dramatis Personae, if they had as many space viruses like in TNG it would have always been Odo. Any other character, they need to make an excuse. Like Daniel Jackson and his antihistamines, or some other thing like that.